Puzzle.



PATBNTED JAN. 20, 1903.

E. HOGKER.

PUZZLE.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.26,1901.

F0 MODEL.

& I A! 5 Claim hha/Ca/l/ canoe/44 067, 331 ikozmW kwxmx NITBD States ELIAS HOOKER, OF BROOKLYN, NEIV YORK.

PUZZLE.

SFECIFIGATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,8d3, dated January 20, 1903.

Application filed December 26,1901. Serial No. 87,392. (No model.)

To all 1071,0712 it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIAS HOOKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, NewYoi-k city, State of New York, have invented a new and useful Puzzle, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of puzzles which are played with balls which by skilful manipulation are placed in an inclosure designed to receive them; and the object of my invention is to provide a puzzle which will afford interest and amusement and exhibit the results of a steady nerve and skilful manipulation by the hands.

I have illustrated my invention by the following drawings, in which like letters refer to like parts throughout the various figures.

Figure I isa plan view of the puzzle. Fig. II is a sectional view taken on the line 00 tr. F ig. III is a sectional view taken on the line 02 cc.

Referring to the figures, A indicates the body, which comprises a box or board,which may or may not be covered with a glass top.

B is a yard formed by the circular partition I)".

G O O are the balls or spheres used in manipulating the puzzle.

A chamber a is provided, separated from the main board or box by the partition a a is a groove extending from the head of the box into the yard B and in which the balls 0 G are designed to run. The yard B is provided with four openings to permit the entrance and exit of the balls.

b is the entrance-gate, and b b b are the exit-openings.

The partition b inclosing the yard B, has one of its ends arranged transversely of the board and extending across the end of the chamber a This partition is made out of tin or other suitable material and is constructed of one piece, with the openings, as shown in the drawings, stamped out. In stamping out this fence small pieces are left at b and U, which are upturned in order to serve as hangers for the gates Z3 and 12 b and the entrance-gate b In the hangers b b and b are longitudinal slots, which are placed close to the interior surface of the fence and adapted to receive the swinging gates b Z9 12 The gates b are constructed of small oblong pieces of metal substantially the width of the slot in the hangers b b and have arms extending from the upper part of the gate to support the same in the hangers b The slot is of substantially the same thickness as the gate and permits the gate moving outward, but not inward, as shown in Fig. II, the inward movement of the gate being prevented by the contact of the armsofttlle gate with the inside of the fence I).

The gate b consists of a piece of metal, preferably of tin, cut in the shape as shown in Fig. III and hung on the hanger b gate is designed to close the entrance of the yard B at 19 and the weight of the gate is sufficient to keep itnormally closed. At the opposite end is a vertical slot designed to hold the incliued'platforln b", which rests loosely therein. This platform is a small piece of tin and rests normally inclined, as shown in Fig. II. In the chamber a is the ball D, designed to operate the gate 19 as hereinafter described. a is a partition placed in the chamber a in order to make the runway of the ball D smaller than the runway a. Five or more balls are provided, as may be convenient in each case.

The operation of the puzzle is as follows: By manipulating the box A with the hand all of the balls outside of the chamber a are moved to the groove or runway at, and when in line in that position the puzzle is ready for operation. The object of the puzzle is to get and retain or hold all of the balls inside of the yard B at the same time. The entire box is inclined and the balls move in regular line along the groove a toward the yard B, and at the same time the ball D moves down the chamber a and on the platform 19 The weight of the ball D is in excess of the larger end of the gate 5 and will cause the platform I) to move downward and lift the gate b opening the entrance b permitting the balls 0 C to enter the yard B. The runway (t being shorter than the groove a, the ball D will reach the platform b and open the gate 11 shortly before the first ball 0 approaches the same. When any or all of the balls 0 O are in the yard B, unless the puzzle is very skilfully manipulated they will run out through the openings 1) b I), being permitted to do so This by the gates Z9 Z1 swinging out When the balls come in contact with them. The halls cannot get back through the openings 79' b b on account of the gates b 13 b closing the same. When the puzzle is held level or inclined head downward, the ball D will run away from the platform I) and the gate 1) will be released and takeits normal position, closing the entrance b If the box is skilfully and carefully handled, all the balls can remain Within the inclosure. The result of the puzzle is accomplished after considerable practice and skilful manipulation. Any number of balls may be used Without altering the effect of the same; but it is evident that the increase in the number of balls increases the difficulty in obtaining the result desired.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a puzzle, the combination with a body provided adjacent one of its sides with a narroW- passage-way, an inclined platform arranged in said passage-way, of a separate compartment arranged at one side of the outer end of the said passage-Way, said compartment being provided With a partition, one end of which extends across the said passageway and being provided With a vertical slot, said partition being provided with openings, a gate pivoted to the said extended portion of the partition and having one of its ends normally extending across one of the openings in the said partition, and having its opposite end arranged across the said passage-way, doors for normally closing the other openings of the said partition within the said passage-Way, and having its upper end projecting through the vertical slot of the said extended portion of the partition and in engagement with the said gate, a movable object for opening said gate, and another movable object adapted to pass through the opening in the partition closed by the said gate, said body being provided with a longitudinal groove communieating with the said last-named opening, substantially as described.

2. In a puzzle, the combination of a body provided adjacent one of its sides with a passage-Way, a separate compartment arranged in proximity to the outer end of the said passage-Way, said compartment provided with a circular partition, one end of which extends transversely of the board and across the inner end of the said passage-Way, said circular partition having openings, a gate pivoted to the said transverse]y-arranged portion of the said partition, and having its inner end arranged Within the said compartment and extending across one of the openings thereof, and its opposite end arranged adjacent the said passage-way, an inclined platform arranged Within said passage-Way and having its upper end bearing on the adjacent end of the said gate, doors closing the other opening of the said circular partition, a movable object adapted to open the said gate, and another movable object adapted to pass through the opening in the partition closed by the said gate, substantially as described.

Signed at the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, State of New York, this 13th day of November, 1901.

ELIAS HOOKER. In presence of- JOHN F. HYLAN, CHAS. O. SEIFERT. 

